


Trust Is Key

by bornindundee



Category: How to Train Your Dragon (Movies)
Genre: Angst, Dragon Hunters, Father-Son Relationship, Gen, Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III Whump, Hiccup is gonna get super angsty in this, Like really angsty, Stoick sucks at being a father
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-02
Updated: 2019-02-02
Packaged: 2019-10-21 00:24:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 12,593
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17632601
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bornindundee/pseuds/bornindundee
Summary: After a 'friendly chat' with Viggo Grimborn, a heated argument with his father and many other unfortunately timed events, Hiccup starts to question the trust he placed in those he's come to call family.





	1. Chapter 1

~O~

**Trust Is Key**

**Chapter 1**

~O~

If human eyes worked the same way as dragon eyes, Hiccup's would be in slits.

Dragon Rider and Dragon Hunter circled each other each with weapons drawn. In the corner of his eye Hiccup could make his friends with weapons to their throats. They were each held tightly in Hunters' grasp. It was very clear that if Hiccup made a wrong move, it would be the end for them all.

"Let them go." Hiccup narrowed his eyes, his finger waiting for the right time to ignite Inferno.

A sly smile crept slowly up Viggo's cheeks. "Now why would I do that? I've put so much effort into bringing you here. What would be the point in putting all that effort to waste?"

Hiccup let out a notable growl of frustration. All the Riders had planned on doing was to explore an island about a day's flight from the edge. Johann had told them that the dragons from that island had been diminishing. The trader had suggested that the Dragon Hunters may have elected the island as a 'hunting hotspot'. Of course, the Riders immediately saddled up and went to go see what was happening.

In short, they were captured. As Johann had suspected, the Hunters did have a camp set up. As Hiccup had also expected, the Twins unknowingly alerted the men of their whereabouts due to their constant bickering. After a battle of 10 to 1-the Riders being the 1-everyone, including the dragons, but Hiccup was detained. Running into the forest the island possessed, Hiccup started to make a plan.

It would have gone well had Viggo not entered the scene. Just as Hiccup was about to free his friends-after spending way too much time to nab a key from a Hunter-Viggo showed and threatened his friends live. Hiccup, playing his very predictable move, pushed his well thought plan to the back of his mind and immediately jumped in.

And now they were here.

"Don't be such a spoil sport." Viggo looked Hiccup over. Despite his calm composure, Viggo could see the fury boiling behind his eyes. "I know being captured isn't the most enjoyable thing, but it's just a part of the game."

"What do you want?" Hiccup demanded ignoring Viggo's comment.

"To simply talk."

Hiccup stopped in his tracks.

"I've become quite fascinated with you, Hiccup Haddock." Viggo continued to circle the Dragon Riders loosely tossing his sword up and down by the hilt. "You're the first opponent I've ever had who plans ahead. While we can both agree you are always a step or two behind, the fact that you are not dead yet marvels me."

Viggo stopped staring at his sword. "So tell me, how do you do it?"

Hiccup furrowed his eyebrows. "Unlike you Viggo, I have friends to help me."

A spark lit in Viggo's eyes. "Ah, yes. And these friends are the Dragon Riders behind you?"

"No Viggo, they are the group of dragons slowly approaching from behind you."

The Twins and Snotlout chuckled when they caught Viggo almost turn his back at the sarcastic remark. Hiccup didn't hide his smile when Viggo's eyes met his.

"And these friends," the Dragon Hunter leader continued unfazed, "are the ones who tormented you for fifteen years."

Everyone saw Hiccup flinch. "How did you-"

"So you do not deny it?" Viggo didn't let Hiccup finish and scanned the Riders behind. They all looked to the ground shamefully.

"Are these also the 'friends' who only took note of you after you ended a war?" Viggo momentarily paused. "After you lost a leg?"

Hiccup had no words of retaliation. What Viggo was saying was true. How he knew, Hiccup didn't know. But it was all true, nonetheless.

"Would you also say that your father was a friend. Ally, perhaps."

Not knowing were Viggo was going, Hiccup slowly nodded.

"And this was after he disowned you and only apologised after you proved yourself worthy in battle? And can you really say anyone has apologised? From what I understand, all people thought that they did wrong was not see your potential. Did no one apologise for how they treated you? Even though we may have different views Hiccup Haddock, no one deserves to be outcast due to their physical appearance."

Hiccup looked to the ground his fist clenched white. The other Riders, silenced from the shock of the situation, watched with uncertain expressions. No one could tell how Hiccup was taking all this.

"Has anyone ever told you that they regret the nicknames you earned," Viggo said with a smug smile. He was getting to the man. "'Hiccup the Useless' was quite a popular one I believe."

Finally having enough of Viggo's monologuing, Snotlout snapped. "That's not what happened at all! We did apologise, didn't we Hiccup?"

Snapping his head up, Hiccup glared at Viggo with a new found resolve. "I don't know where you've gotten all this from Viggo, but I can guarantee you that you've heard all wrong. Yes, a lot of things happened when we were younger, but that's all over now. I'm not going to deny it happened, no one does, but I trust the other Riders with my life. And _nothing_ you say is going to make me think otherwise."

The other Riders relaxed. They were glad to know that Hiccup felt that way. Ever since he had defeated the Red Death, what happened before that was pushed to the side. While, as Hiccup said, no one denied what happened, no one really talked of it. From how Hiccup had reacted to being named 'The Pride of Berk', everyone had just assumed that he'd forgiven them. It was good to know that assumption wasn't a false one.

Unfazed by Hiccup's words, Viggo nodded to his men and turned on his heel. "I hope to see more of you soon Hiccup Haddock. I'd love to know so much more about you."

Hiccup stared with obvious confusion as Viggo walked away. It wasn't until the sound of someone roughly falling to the ground from behind him did Hiccup remember about his friends. The men that had been once holding them captive were all on the ground unconscious. Quickly turning and running towards them he scanned to make sure they were all okay. 

"You guys alright?" Hiccup asked ignoring how easily and how suddenly the Riders had taken out those men.

"We're good," Astrid replied with the nod of her head. "But we still need to get out dragons."

Nodding, the Riders started searching the now deserted camp.

"Does anyone think it's weird how quickly everyone left?" Asked Fishlegs. "They haven't even tried to stop us."

"It doesn’t matter." Snotlout said as he lifted the sheet off another empty cage. "We're free, and once we find our dragons we'll be back on the Edge in no time." 

"Exactly." Tuffnut agreed.

"And it better be quick. Tuff and I have to restock on boars after our last run in the Boar Pit."

Astrid rolled her eyes and a familiar squawk alerted her attention.

"Stormfly!" She called running towards a cage with a large sheet draped over it. Briskly pulling it off, the playful blue Nadder was revealed.

After pushing her hand against the dragon's snout through the bars, Astrid started searching for a key. It only took a few moments before she found one conveniently dropped on the ground. It was as if it had been left there on purpose. Unlocking the cage, Stormfly quickly helped find the other dragons.

After a quick reunion, the Riders were up in the air.

For a while, they continued in silence flying in V Formation. No one was really sure how to strike up a conversation, not after what Viggo had said. And their 'escape', it was too easy. _Far_ too easy. The Hunters had suddenly let loose their grip giving the captive Riders a perfect chance to take them out. The camp-although it was small-had been almost completely deserted. The only men were a few hiding behind some barrels that the Twins easily took out. And how Viggo had suddenly left without a care in the world, it was uncharacteristic.

But of course, no one brought that up. They'd save the conversation for later.

With a deep sigh, Hiccup finally spoke. "If you guys are thinking about what Viggo said I'd like to know."

After another - though not as long - moment of silence, Astrid spoke. "How can we not?"

Turning in the saddle, Hiccup looked each of the Riders dead in the eye. "I meant what I said earlier. I trust you guys with my life."

"All of us?" Fishlegs asked gesturing towards the Twins and Snotlout. He was doing his best to loosen the tension that even the dragons could feel.

Letting out a laugh and shaking his head Hiccup replied. "Yes, all of you."

"Now that we have that settled," Snotlout flew forwards breaking the formation, "why don’t we have a race back to the Edge."

"You're on." Astrid repositioned herself in the saddle.

"Last one back has to clean the stables!" The Twins yelled in unison as they flew off into the distance. Fishlegs, Astrid and Snotlout hurried on their dragons to catch up.

Laughing, Hiccup leaned down. "What do you say bud? Want to show them how fast you've gotten?"

With a croon that could only be an affirmative answer, Hiccup thrust down on Toothless' pedal and the duo shot off after the others.

If only the other Riders had taken the opportunity to really talk about what Viggo had said, then such devastation might not have followed.


	2. Chapter 2

 

〜O〜

**Trust Is Key**

**Chapter 2**

〜O〜

Sleep never came easily to Hiccup. Especially when all he could think about was the events of the days prior. He tossed in his bed hoping to find a comfortable position and clear his mind of the stress-filled thoughts, but none the less, Hiccup's mind wandered anyways.

The conversation had come up time and time again, but no matter how hard the Riders thought, they could not come to a conclusion on why Viggo needed information on Hiccup's past. They could figure out how he had gotten most the information-if you dug deep enough it wasn't hard to find. It was common knowledge among the tribes of the Archipelago that Hiccup used to be 'Stoick's Disappointment'. If Viggo wanted to he could easily ask around.

There were, however, smaller details that didn't make sense. How had Viggo known that Stoick had disowned his son? Stoick and Hiccup-and possibly Gobber-were the only ones who knew of what had happened a few hours before Stoick led his men to the Dragon's Nest. It wasn't something they talked about though. Both Stoick and Hiccup agreed that they would rather forget the events of that horrid day.

There was also the fact of how Viggo knew about what the people of Berk had apologised for-or lack of apologies for that matter. While he hated to admit it, Hiccup was well aware that no one had apologised to him properly. People had said sorry for 'not seeing his potential' or 'not understanding that different wasn't always bad', but never for how they treated him. No one - not even his own father - had spoken to him and said they deeply regretted the years they tormented him. Not for the remarks he would get every time he left his home, not for the beatings he received every day, not for spending years with no one but himself, not even for the horrid nicknames that used to be slapped onto him.

That didn't bother Hiccup though. They accepted him now. That was all he needed, right?

Huffing as sleep once again escaped his grasp, Hiccup groaned into his pillow. He needed to clear his head. Looking at the dragon sleeping peacefully on his stone slab, Hiccup decided against waking Toothless. Perhaps a walk through the woods was all he needs.

Sitting up and grabbing his shield from next to his nightstand, Hiccup gently walked down the stairs as not to wake the sleeping Night Fury. He started making his way away from the buildings of the Edge. He needed some alone time, some time to clear his head. A chuckle escaped as he thought of how Astrid would react if she ever found out he had done this. The blonde shieldmaiden had very clearly stated that going into the woods alone at night was not something he should do.

"I have my shield." He thought out loud. "What's the worst that could happen?"

Hiccup should have known better than to jinx himself because his next encounter was really going to start his downward spiral.

After walking for about ten minutes just enjoying the soothing sounds of the night, a twig snapped. Stopping dead in his tracks, Hiccup drew his shield. It was quiet for a moment. Suddenly a loud rustle of leaves and a swift movement of shadow from his left side caused Hiccup to fire a bola from his shield. The rope and weight hit its target sending them tumbling to the ground with a pained cry.

Briskly running towards his captive, Hiccup was met with a familiar and frightened face.

"Johann?"

The older man looked up doing his best to cover his face with his tied shaking hands. "Master Hiccup, w-would you mind releasing me please?"

Rolling his eyes, Hiccup kneeled down and started to untie the ropes.

"Sorry about that." He murmured. "What are you doing anyway? It's a bit late don't you think?"

Once the trader was free and had checked himself over to check he was still in one piece, Johann replied. "I was looking for you. My ship was attacked by a Scauldron and started taking on water, this island was the closest one with help."

Hiccup helped Johann to his feet. "Where is your ship?"

"A bit further east from here. I should be able to give it a patch job I just need some materials."

Shaking his head, Hiccup started leading Johann to the Edge. "Come on. Let's get you somewhere warm."

The trader jogged to catch up with the long-striding Hiccup. "This reminds me of the time a young man a bit older than you helped me after a Thunderdrum attack. My ears were so sore that I could hardly hear a thing…"

"Oh, gods." He said under his breath as he tried to drain Johann's storytelling. "Please make the trip back to the Edge fast."

~O~

"You did what?"

Hiccup visibly cringed as Astrid's scream cut through the air. Maybe it would have just been better to tell Astrid that Johann had woken him up instead of 'I ventured into the woods alone at night without telling anyone where I was going or when I'd be back.'

"I was only a few minutes." Hiccup grumbled as he watched Astrid's pacing. "It's not like I died or anything."

Astrid turned and slammed her hands onto the table in the centre of the Clubhouse. "It had hardly been a month since the bounty incident. You have to be more careful."

Knowing very well there was no point in trying to argue, Hiccup sighed in defeat. "Okay, okay, next time I'll tell you where I'm going."

Astrid folded her arms still unhappy.

"Or not do it again."

"That's better."

"Anyway," Fishlegs cut in trying to sooth the tense atmosphere. "I'll go get some supplies to help fix Johann's ship."

Hiccup nodded. "Ruff, Tuff, can you go help him?"

The Twins nodded and raced after Fishlegs. Usually, the Twins would have complained but with how distant Hiccup had been acting after the encounter with Viggo, everyone was doing their best to bring him back to his old self.

Hiccup looked as if he never slept, studying Dragon Eye notes didn't bring as much enjoyment as what it used to, and his food was hardly touched. The Riders expected him to be slightly shaken up after what Viggo had said-they all were. But the way Hiccup acted-especially just walking into the forest during the dead of night by himself-was uncharacteristic.

Hiccup was well aware that his friends had noticed that focus didn't come easy. But every time they asked if he was okay, he would simply brush it off as being tired. Hiccup was certain that after a few days the prior events would be forced to the back of his mind and he would be back to his usual self.

"Hiccup?"

Hiccup looked up after realising that Astrid had been talking to him. "Uh- Sorry, what was that?"

After exchanging a worried glance with Snotlout who was now standing next to her, Astrid repeated what Hiccup had failed to hear the first time around. "Snotlout and I are going to go and see what could have aggravated the Scauldrons. Did you want to stay here and help the others get supplies ready and start patching Johann's ship?"

Hiccup nodded a bit too quickly. "Yer, yes. I can- I can do that."

Astrid nodded. "We should be back before sunset, if not, just after."

With that, Astrid and Snotlout mounted their dragons and took off eastwards.

Once the two were out of sight, Hiccup let his shoulders drop. "What am I doing?" He asked himself bringing his hands to his face and massaging his temples to relieve an imaginary headache. None of this should be happening. He shouldn't be so caught up with something that Viggo knew. It wasn't like it did any harm to the Riders. If anything it could harm the Hunters. They might doubt the strength of their team which would evidently lead to their downfall.

"Master Hiccup?"

Hiccup's eyes snapped towards Johann. He had forgotten that the Trader was still here. Dropping his hands to his side Hiccup let out a sigh.

"Sorry, Johann. I've just been a little…" Hiccup trailed struggling to find the right word.

"Stressed?"

"Is it that obvious?"

Johann took a step closer. "While we're alone, I was wondering if I could talk to you about something. About you being a bit stressed as of recent."

Hiccup readied himself. Here it comes, another lecture on why he needs to relax.

"I found an underground cavern full of hundreds of books concerning dragons."

Hiccup straightened, his attention caught like a fish in a net.

"Last time I was here I felt that the pressure of the Dragon Hunters was getting to you. So I thought that some time alone with endless dragon knowledge would be good for you."

Hiccup smiled. "That does sound nice. Where is this island?"

"A days west by boat from here. Once my ship is fixed we could go."

Hiccup nodded. "That sounds nice. Thanks, Johann."

"My pleasure, Master Hiccup."

With that, the two went to go find the Twins and Fishlegs to see what they could do to help.

 


	3. Chapter 3

~O~

**Trust Is Key**

**Chapter 3**

~O~

There was something so refreshing about the high-speed wind in your face as you rode on the back of a dragon. It was one of the few times that Hiccup could completely relax. Toothless also loved the thrill of flight. He would barrel roll, dive to only pull up at the last minute and even dive under the water and break the surface when Hiccup was about to lose all his oxygen.

On the back of a dragon, Hiccup could forget all his worries - even if only for a few moments.

The dragon rider looked back and for the umpteenth time that hour checked the tension on the rope that connected Johann's boat to Toothless' saddle. Hiccup smirked as he saw the terrified expression of Johann as his boat was towed at neck breaking speeds by a dragon. It wasn't the most efficient way to travel - they would have arrived at their destination by now if they only had Toothless - but Johann had his boat and that wasn't something the Trader or Hiccup was comfortable to leave back at the Edge. Not with the Twins left unrestrained.

And the truth was, that Hiccup wouldn't be out here if he had left Johann's boat at the Edge. As far as the other Riders were concerned, he was escorting Johann in case another dragon attacked and to the closest civilisation to make sure his boat had been repaired properly - the Riders weren't professional boat builders.

Astrid and Snotlout had not been able to find any Scauldron's in the area Johann had said that his ship had been attacked, but Hiccup wanted to take extra precautions - just in case. Plus, it allowed him to take a minor detour and explore this 'Cave of Information' as Johann had explained.

It wasn't that he didn't want the Riders to join him, he just wanted to check it out first, make sure it was safe. Besides, Fishlegs was probably the only one who would appreciate any of it. The Twins and Snotlout would be idiots, Astrid would knock them up the backside of his head for being idiots and it would drive him insane. Hiccup wasn't even sure he could take Fishlegs geeking right now either.

And so, Hiccup had suggested that he accompany Johann until they arrived at his next stop on his trade route. He had said that it would be a good idea in case anything happened.

Finally, after hours of flying, a small island - about only 2 kilometres in diameter - appeared on the horizon. Johann was quick to disembark once his boat had been pulled to shore. His face was a sheet of snow as he stumbled onto the sand.

"You okay Johann?" Hiccup asked with poorly hidden humour. "You look like you saw a ghost."

Still slightly dizzy in composure, Johann looked at Hiccup. "I am sorry Master Hiccup, it is just that my ship doesn't usually go that fast."

Hiccup chuckled. He looked behind him to the dense greenery a few metres away. "You sure this is the right island, Johann? The riders and I have been here before and we didn't find anything, not even a single dragon."

"I am sure."

Hiccup shrugged and followed Johann as the man ventured into the small forest. It was hard to drown out the useless stories that poured out of Johann, but after a few 'uh-huh's and 'interesting's the tales passed very swiftly. The two carried on for a while. Johann led while Hiccup and Toothless trailed behind.

Finally, after about ten minutes of walking, Johann pushed away some brambles to reveal the mouth of a cave. The initial drop was narrow, but as Johann had explained before, it soon levelled out and with the aid of a torch would lead to much information on dragons. Hiccup resisted the urge to jump from one foot to the other in anticipation. Despite all the years that he had done this sort of thing, new dragon knowledge always excited him.

Johann gestured towards the cave with his head and Hiccup, followed by Toothless, entered the mouth.

"Toothless, slow burn." Hiccup instructed as the trio ventured deeper into the depths of rock.

The dragon obeyed, the stone walls illuminating purple. Hiccup continued to follow the cave system as it narrowed to then eventually open into a wide cavern. When Toothless shot a plasma blast towards two nearby torches, it elicited a single word from Hiccup:

"Wow."

The cavern was just as Johann had described - endless amounts of dragon knowledge. Many bookshelves lined with hundreds of books were placed erratically around the room, detailed diagrams of several different dragon species were pinned to the stone wall, and miniature models of different dragons sat on the floor and on many tables. Hiccup leaned down and picked up a figurine of a Deadly Nadder. It fit into his palm, yet the detail that had been carved into the wood was extraordinary.

"It's beautiful."

An unwelcomed voice along with Toothless growl made Hiccup tense. "I'm glad you think so, my dear Hiccup. I do take much pride in my work."

Spinning on his heel, Hiccup pulled out Inferno and faced Viggo. His eyes narrowed at the sight of Johann being held at the throat by two Dragon Hunters, his terrified expression obviously choking any words. Toothless growled at the aggressive Hunters.

"Call off your Night Fury," Viggo demanded gesturing to Johann, "or the Trader dies."

Without seeing any other option, Hiccup singled for Toothless to back down. The Night Fury obeyed, slinking back to Hiccup's side.

"What do you want Viggo?" Hiccup was getting tired of asking that question.

The Hunters' leader smirked. "Since we were so rudely interrupted last time, I would like to talk."

"I already told you, nothing you say will make me believe anything different about the other Riders. I trust them with my life and that isn't changing."

A silence lapsed as Hiccup stared a seemingly uncaring Viggo down. Something was wrong and Hiccup was determined not to fall into whatever trap had been set.

Finally, Viggo spoke again. "If that's the case, then you won't have any issue listening to what I have to say."


	4. Chapter 4

~O~

**Trust Is Key**

**Chapter 4**

~O~

"If that's the case, then you won't have any issue listening to what I have to say."

Hiccup stared Viggo down. This was a trap - that was obvious - yet, Hiccup needed to know how Viggo got the information he had. It had been chewing at him since the incident. This may be his only chance to find out what had happened.

It took a few moments to decide, but finally, Hiccup responded. "Then let's talk."

A smile crept up Viggo's face. "I have a question for you Hiccup Haddock. Why do you think the inhabitants of Berk praise you the way you do?"

Hiccup knew where this was headed. "Because I ended a three-hundred-year-old war."

"You saved their lives. Praise and thanks could only be expected. But, what if you hadn't defeated the Red Death? What if you had never tamed the Night Fury? How would the people of the Archipelago treat you then?"

Hiccup knew the answer to that question. He always had. If he hadn't defeated the Red Death he would continue to be an outcast. He never would have any friends, and never be accepted. Snotlout would take his place as heir and then he would be banished forever - assuming he hadn't taken his own life by that point.

But he couldn't tell Viggo that - that would be playing right into his hand.

"I take your silence means you know the answer." Hiccup hadn't realised that he'd been silent for so long.

"It doesn't matter what could have happened, Viggo. Because I did defeat the Red Death, I did befriend a dragon, and I did end a war. So my question is, how and why do you know so much about what happened?"

"The how, I cannot answer. I swore secrecy with my source. As for the why, I like to get to know my opponents. A man as smart as you must understand that it's the best way to find a weakness in a man."

The logic was sound, yet, something was missing. It made perfect sense for Viggo to gather information to find a weakness. If Hiccup could, he would do the same. But for Viggo to go out of his way to express that was his plan didn't sit right. Hiccup was missing something, and it was driving him insane.

"If that's all, then Johann and I will be going."

"Of course, but before you do. I have a small favour to ask." Hiccup raised an eyebrow at Viggo. "Pay attention next time you and your Dragon Riders attack one of my fleets."

That point struck the confusion of the whole situation even deeper. Hiccup was always paying attention. Viggo knew that. The Dragon Hunter was smart enough to know that Hiccup's eyes were never focussed on one, single spot. He scanned each and every ship for a weak spot. He examined every stance that the Dragon Hunters formed in order to determine the best approach. What didn't he pay attention to?

But there was no time to ask as the Dragon Hunters holding Johann pushed the man towards the exit of the cave. Not looking back, the man sprinted away. Hiccup took one last look at Viggo's passive expression before signalling Toothless and following suit.

Hiccup had hoped the encounter would ease his mind, instead, it only left him with more questions unanswered.

~O~

Once Hiccup was in the air, the usual thrill of flight did not calm his mind. Instead, the wind only seemed to block the rest of the world out. Hiccup's mind couldn't stop replaying what Viggo had said.

What on Midgard was Hiccup supposed to pay attention to? He prided himself on his observance skills. It was due to his ability to concentrate on several things at once that Hiccup was alive. While others may call it a short attention span, Hiccup's observant mind was what had led to so many discoveries. It was what had kept him alive during raids. It was what had allowed him to avoid getting beaten up by Snotlout and the Twins when they were younger. It was what eventually had led him to shoot down and befriend Toothless.

So what was he not seeing?

"Master Hiccup?" Hiccup looked down from atop of Toothless down at Johann. "I can see the Northern Markets from here."

Hiccup looked northwards and nodded. After they had left the Island, the two had agreed to head to the Northern Markets. There were many sailors in the area, and with Johann's reputation, it wouldn't take long to find someone to survey his ship for any remaining damage. They had also agreed that it would be best for Hiccup and Toothless to depart before they got to close. The Dragon Hunters had started to occupy the island more and more as of recent, making a visit all the more dangerous for Hiccup.

"I should be alright to sail on from here, Master Hiccup," Johann called from below as he started to unwounded the thick rope the attached Toothless to his ship.

Hiccup started the same task on his end of the rope.

"I'll see you around Johann," Hiccup said as he pulled the remaining rope up and stuffed it into Toothless' saddlebag.

"Wait!" Hiccup looked down at Johann. "I have something before you go."

Gently Hiccup lowered Toothless onto the deck of Johann's ship as the man approached with a paper scroll tied with twine.

"This is for you and the other Riders. I was able to snag it from a Dragon Hunter a couple of days ago. It's supposedly the areas where some ships are to hunt for dragons. I forgot about it until now."

Hiccup took the parchment and unrolled it. There weren't many markings - only five - but it would help the Riders a lot. Over the past few weeks, it was becoming harder and harder to locate ships in the vast expanse of the ocean.

"Thanks, Johann. I really appreciate it."

The Trader smiled. "I better be off then. As much as I trust your Riders, Master Hiccup, I would like to ensure that my ship has been properly repaired."

"Not a problem, Johann. I'll see you around."

And with that Toothless and Hiccup took off into the air. And it wasn't until Johann's ship was out of sight did Hiccup notice that Johann hadn't told a single story on their three hour trip from the Island to the Northern Markets.


	5. Chapter 5

~O~

**Forced Return**

**Chapter 5**

~O~

Hiccup sat down on one of the century-old benches in the Great Hall. It was that time of the month when the Riders would return to Berk for a few days. It allowed them to restock on supplies, see family, inform the Council of any recent Dragon Hunter activity, and - as Hiccup was currently doing - adding any new additions to the Book of Dragons.

After arriving in Berk earlier that morning, the Dragon Riders had passed quick greetings between family and friends before retreating to their families homes and having a sleep. The long, almost two day trip, from Dragon's Edge to Berk had worn them all out. Hiccup, of course, only slept for a few hours before heading to the Great Hall to update the Book of Dragons. Right now lunch was being served, Hiccup assumed it wouldn't be too long until the other Riders came and joined him.

And, his assumption was correct. Not even five minutes later had the other Riders come and sat with him.

"Enjoy your sleep?" Hiccup questioned with a smile.

"It was great." Snotlout exclaimed. "I think I might just stay here on Berk. That way I don't have to get up before sunrise and go on one of your stupid patrols Hiccup."

"I highly doubt that Snotlout. If you're here than Stoick would have you performing patrols around Berk. And you would also have to do some at night." Fishlegs informed.

Snotlout was quiet for a moment before folding his arms and scowling. "Shut up Fishface."

The other Riders burst out in laughter.

"It's good to have you all back." Came a booming voice from behind Hiccup.

"Hey, Dad. Did you end up finding Sven's sheep?"

Stoick took a seat next to his son. The table creaking under his weight. "Yes, I did eventually."

"What happened?" Astrid questioned.

Stoick glared at the Twins. "Their cousin happened."

"You mean Woodnut made her first sacrifice to Loki?" Tuffnut stood up. "I knew this day would come, Dear Sister. We must go show Young Woodnut the way of the true pranksters!"

"Yes, we must do so Dear Brother."

"Should we stop them?" Inquired Fishlegs as the Twins ran out the hall.

"I doubt it will change anything." Replied Hiccup.

It seemed that back on Berk Hiccup forgot about all the troubles that roamed outside the Archipelago. At least, that's what Astrid saw. Hiccup visibly was more relaxed, he laughed a bit more, and didn't lock himself away to work on a plan to take down the Hunter's. She'd noticed it the last time the Riders had visited Berk, and especially now with how he had been acting recently. Hopefully, after this, he would go back to the Hiccup that she knew and loved.

"So Chief, were you still planning on coming to visit Dragon's Edge for a few days?" Though the arrangement had been made over a month ago, the Chief was a busy man and meetings occurred unexpectantly.

Hiccup looked up at his father with expectant eyes. He had been looking forward to his father's visit all month. He had made sure that the Riders had cleaned up the Edge before they left. Though Astrid would never say it for his pride's sake, Hiccup was still that little boy who only wanted to make his father proud.

"About that…" Hiccup's face fell at his father's words. "I'll have to put it off for now. The Council has been calling meeting after meeting as of late. The Auxiliary Team has spotted Dragon Hunter ships in Berk's waters. We've been trying to find the best way to scare them off." Stoick turned to Hiccup and clamped his shoulder. "Sorry, Son. Maybe next time."

Hiccup wasn't sure what he had expected. Of course, his dad wasn't going to stick to what he had said. He never did. And his frustration only grew the more he thought about it. Hiccup needed to get out of here. His father wasn't going to change the way he went about keeping his promises to his son anytime soon so what was the point in trying to tell him?

Instead of the understanding nod and an 'it's fine' that Stoick was expecting, he only got a frustrated sigh from his son.

"Sure." The young man answered as he stood leaving his meal and the Book of Dragons untouched. "I'm going for a walk."

"Hiccup, wait!" Stoick also stood. "What's wrong?"

Astrid, Snotlout, and Fishlegs noted Hiccup clench and unclench his fist. A gesture that meant his patience was wearing thin. Hiccup didn't want to be doing this, yet the frustration and anger just kept bristling up. Then thoughts of ' _we were supposed to have gotten over this when you defeated the Red Death_ ' started to brim in Hiccup's mind. But he quickly cleared them away. Every time he went down that train of thought it only left him feeling worse.

Hiccup took a deep breath before replying. "Nothing is wrong." He continued to walk away.

"Something is obviously wrong. So spit it out."

"Stoick, I wouldn't-" Astrid started, only to be interrupted by Hiccup.

"Well, maybe I'm getting a little bit frustrated with how much you seem to say 'maybe next time'."

"I only say that because I don't have a choice. When there is a Council meeting, as Chief I must attend."

By this point, the villagers who were enjoying their midday meal in the Hall now started to pay attention to the father and son as they both raised their voices. It had been a while since the two had engaged in a public, heated argument and many were interested to see where it went.

"Because it's not like you can ask to reschedule. Sorry that I forgot a Council Meeting must overtake all prior arrangements. Even those that had been made well over a month before."

"As Chief, it's my duty to attend those meetings. I can't just do whatever I want, whenever I want. You should well and truly know this by now."

Of course Hiccup knew that! Did his dad think he hadn't been paying attention to all his 'chief lessons' over the past few years? But once again, Stoick was missing the point. It wasn't the fact that he had to attend a meeting that was getting on his nerve, it was that they always happened to fall on when the father and son had agreed to do something else. And it didn't appear that his father even told the Council about anything else he had arranged. Once again, it was the village before family.

"And if you had agreed to have a drink with another Chief? What then?"

Stoick clenched his fists. "That is a lot different Hiccup."

"And how so?"

This was ridiculous, Stoick realised. Was Hiccup really asking such mundane questions as these? The boy should know by now how delicate the relationship between two tribes could be.

"Because that drink could be the difference between a treaty being broken or staying intact."

"So what you're saying is that a Chief would declare war on Berk because you had to attend a Council Meeting?"

When Hiccup put it like that, the stupidity of Stoick's statement really hit. But Stoick was far too stubborn to back down by this point. He had to attend this meeting, so why couldn't his son see that? He had more important things to worry about than to travel halfway across the world to see an outpost that his son and his friends had built.

"It doesn't matter Hiccup. I can't visit Dragon's Edge just this once. Why are you making such a big deal out of this?"

"Because it's not 'just this once'. Every single time you've ever said 'next time', never have you followed up."

"I have so!"

"When I was six, I had finally managed to hit the target with a dagger almost every time. I asked every single day for a month for you to come and watch but it was always 'maybe next time'. Then there was the time when I was eight. I'd successfully forged my first weapon and every time I tried to show you, you responded with 'maybe later'. Again, when I was thirteen, I'd come up with the idea to armour the catapults with iron so they wouldn't be as likely to burn down during raids. Even Gobber had said it was a good idea. But surprise, surprise, when I tried to say something it was 'maybe later'." Hiccup's eyes were seething with anger. "My whole life it has always been 'maybe later'!"

As the two continued to argue, Astrid was finally starting to piece things together. The way Hiccup seemed to seclude himself from the others, his lack of attention, this argument about things that had happened before the end of the war. It all started after the 'talk' with Viggo. Hiccup couldn't be taking what the Dragon Hunter said to heart, could he? Hiccup was smart enough to know what Viggo had said was to try and weaken the strength of their team, right? Astrid needed to stop this fight before anyone said anything they would regret.

"I am a chief before I am a father!"

There was a beat as Astrid turned to Hiccup. No one in the Hall missed the flash of hurt that crossed the Dragon Riders face. It was soon replaced with seething anger, though.

Those words cut deep. His whole life, Hiccup had known it to be true. Stoick was always attending to the village. He was more interested in signing documents then attending to his own sick child. But, to hear his father actually say the words hurt more than what Hiccup could ever have imagined.

"If the first fifteen years of my life taught me anything, then that was obvious." Hiccup turned on his heel and headed towards the door. He needed to get out of here.

Stoick called before Hiccup could exit. "Son, wait. I didn't mean-"

The audacity of that man was driving Hiccup insane. Did he really expect that Hiccup would still be okay hearing him call him 'son' after what he had just said? That simple sentence had proven everything that Hiccup had ever believed about the relationship between himself and his father. Stoick would rather manage a village than acknowledge his own son's existence.

"Don't 'son' me. You meant exactly what you said. So if you excuse me,  _Stoick_ , I'll be leaving." The venom in his tone hit Stoick hard, and at the time Hiccup couldn't be any happier about it.

And despite the tears that started to well in Hiccup's eyes, he felt a little bit better after getting all of that off his chest.

~O~

This was so messed up, Hiccup realised.

He had been flying atop of Toothless simply circling Berk for the past long while now. The sun was on a steady decent by this point.

All he had done was think. He had thought about what Viggo had said, about how Johann had acted strangely, and the fight he had with his father. Hiccup was still mad at the man and had no plan on going back and apologising for what had taken place. Stoick should be the one apologising - not that Hiccup really wanted to forgive him right now.

Looking down at the island, Hiccup noted street torches being lit and decided that he should probably return. It only then occurred to him that the last place he wanted to be was around other people.

Then an idea struck.

Hiccup sat up and looked at Toothless. "What do you say bud? Why don't we go back to Dragon's Edge? Just the two of us."

The dragon gave an inquisitive croon. Hiccup had been acting strangely all week and it was starting to worry him. Maybe it would be best if he was given some proper alone time - with Toothless to keep him safe of course.

After some careful consideration, the dragon let out an affirmative croon.

"Come on, I need to grab a few things before we go."

Toothless landed just outside the Chief's house and Hiccup made no effort of climbing the exterior wall and jumping in through the window. He made quick work of writing a note to tell the other Riders where he was going and grabbed a few supplies.

In under five minutes, the duo were back up in the air and on their way to Dragon's Edge.


	6. Chapter 6

~O~

**Trust Is Key**

**Chapter 6**

~O~

_To the Dragon Riders_

_Before you start panicking and start an Archipelago-wide search for me, I've gone back to Dragon's Edge._

_Don't bother to come and look for me. Toothless and I will be long gone by the time you get this letter. Enjoy your time on Berk, restock, rest up, and enjoy the time with your family. I'll watch over the Edge while I await your return._

_Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III_

The note, though short, filled Astrid with dread. She expected Hiccup to be mad at Stoick - what he had said was outright wrong. In fact, if he wasn't mad at his father than Astrid would be for him. But she had never expected him to upright leave. It just didn't seem very… Hiccup. In a situation like this, most would expect him to accept Stoick's apology and then forget about it. That's what he always did. So why was this different?

Once again, her mind went back to Viggo. Astrid couldn't grasp why Hiccup would believe what Viggo had said. The village had apologised. Many families had gone out of their way to supply food, clothing, blankets, and other necessities for the young Haddock. Everyone had expressed their thanks for him saving their lives and apologised for not seeing his potential to be a True Viking. He was a hero! What else could he want?

Perhaps it was what Viggo had said about Stoick disowning Hiccup. She had never been told directly by Stoick or Hiccup if the whispers were true - even Gobber brushed the subject aside. Hiccup hadn't denied what Viggo had said so that could only mean one thing. Stoick had disowned his son. But the two must have smoothed things out. For the past three years Stoick had openly called Hiccup his son and Hiccup had called Stoick 'dad'.

Perhaps it was just the bad memory being on the forefront of his mind that had caused the outburst. Yes. That was most logical explanation. Hiccup couldn't stop thinking about what Viggo had said, so memories about his disown must have been constantly playing. That's what had caused the sudden outbreak - he was annoyed at his father.

There was no other explanation for Hiccup's outburst, right?

But then Astrid couldn't stop thinking about all those things Hiccup had said about when he was younger. No one had heard him talk about the events prior to the battle with the Red Death in a long time. But wouldn't that just have been because he was a little upset at Stoick? And his last sentence ' _if the first fifteen years of my life taught me anything, then that was obvious_ ', that was just out of anger. Surely he didn't really mean what he had said.

But the more she thought about it, the more Astrid convinced herself that maybe Hiccup hadn't quite forgiven them for all that happened before he killed the Red Death.

~O~

The past few days hadn't been as enjoyable as Hiccup expected they would. He had always imagined that a few, quiet days on the Edge without the Twins or Snotlout blowing anything up would be relaxing. And it was for the first day or so. Hiccup had gone on patrols, sketched out some new ideas, and so forth. Soon, however, Hiccup started to feel… bored.

It was a strange feeling to Hiccup. He always had something to do. Whether it was working in the forge, training a dragon, or sketching something in his journal, Hiccup was never bored. Soon, he realised that he was starting to miss the presence of the other Riders. It had become such an ordinary thing that when it suddenly wasn't there, Hiccup felt that something was missing.

He had contemplating returning to Berk many times but soon crossed the idea out for its impracticality. By the time he arrived at Berk, the others would be already leaving - assuming they hadn't left when they found his note. And it wasn't fair on Toothless. Back on Berk, Hiccup had awoken the Night Fury from his sleep to go on a flight after the argument with his father. The dragon had been exhausted but didn't refuse. Then, he had decided to leave for a two-day trip. Hiccup had already exhausted Toothless enough, he wasn't going to drag him back to Berk once again.

And he would be okay for another few days. It wasn't like he had never spent time alone before.

~O~

Hiccup awoke to a Night Terror screeching in his ear. It took a moment for the Dragon Rider to fully comprehend what was happening as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes.

"Wha- what?" He asked out loud.

Once again the Terror screeched. Hiccup sat up and looked to the open window above his bed. The silhouettes of at least another six Night Terrors sat on the windowsill. The dragons continued to screech their warning as Hiccup got out of bed.

Warning.

The Terrors had sent him a warning.

Someone was attacking the Edge.

That realisation kicked all the sleepiness out of Hiccup's system. He whistled for Toothless who had already been woken by the commotion. The dragon chased after his Rider as the young man left his hut.

"Come on Bud, let's see who's crazy enough to land on our shores." The two took off into the night sky.

Whoever had arrived made no attempt at staying hidden. Several large torches lined the edge of a small ship, and the men who exited the vessel carried hand held ones. Toothless flew silently overhead as Hiccup surveyed the intruders. There were only six of them at the most. It was hard to make out their features so high up but Hiccup could at least recognise their affiliation. Dragon Hunters.

All but one man held a bow with a quiver of arrows on each ones back. As Hiccup edged Toothless closer to the ground - and thanks to a flicker of light - he could make out who the odd man out was. Viggo Grimborn.

A scowl crossed Hiccup's face as he identified the man. Hiccup was about to circle back to the Edge and hide the Dragon Eye before Viggo lifted his arm into the air. The action caught him off guard at first, but as he identified the white flag clasped in Viggo's closed fist, it turned into confusion.

In war, the white flag could symbolise many things. Surrender, truce, negotiation. It wasn't used a lot during Viking wars but its purpose was widely known. It took a moment, but Hiccup finally decided that it would be safe if he landed.

Toothless landed in front of the Hunters on the sandy shore. Most jumped in fright at the sudden appearance and instinctively drew their arrows. To this, Toothless growled.

"Weapons down men." The all too familiar voice of Viggo commanded. "We are here on a truce, remember that."

"What do you want Viggo?"

"You're one to cut to the chase."

"I do that when I got woken up at midnight."

"Understandable." Viggo mused. "Are you alone?"

"You aren't."

Hiccup wasn't going to fall into any more of Viggo's traps. He was determined to get this man off this island as soon as possible. He even briefly contemplated getting Toothless to blast the man into oblivion.

"Fair point." Viggo nodded. "If I put my men back on that ship-" He gestured to the vessel they had arrived on. "-then you call the rest of your Riders off. I have no doubt they are hiding in those trees behind you."

The man didn't know Hiccup was here alone. That was good, Hiccup noted. If he thought that the other Riders were here then Viggo wouldn't be as inclined to attack the Edge.

"And why are you so desperate to have us alone?"

"I have a proposition for you."

Hiccup surveyed Viggo for a moment. He appeared unarmed, and with Toothless on his side, the man would be no threat to him personally. However, this whole situation didn't sit right. The past two encounters had taught him that anything Viggo said was only going to leave him with more questions. Yet, something in the back of Hiccup's mind told him just to listen once more. It said that this time Viggo would explain where he had gotten the information from, and what he was supposed to 'pay attention to'.

Hiccup listened to the little voice.

"Very well then."

Hiccup waited for Viggo's men to board the ship and sail out at least ten metres before he made a hand signal. To Viggo, the raised hand looked like a signal to tell the Dragon Riders to back off. However, with his other hand hidden from sight, Hiccup made a small signal to the Night Terrors hidden in the trees behind him.

It was a 'trick' that Tuffnut had taught them. By repeatedly opening and clenching your fist, the Terrors would shake their bodies. The quicker you performed the action, the quicker the Night Terrors moved. By starting at a high speed and quickly getting slower, it made the shrub behind him shake. It would appear that the Dragon Riders were hidden in the shrub and as they moved further away the noise got quieter.

Once the noised silenced Hiccup asked. "So please, tell me about your proposition?"

"I would like to offer you a place within the Dragon Hunter ranks."


	7. Chapter 7

~O~

**Trust Is Key**

**Chapter 7**

~O~

Hiccup blinked in confusion and shook his head a few times.

Was Viggo serious? Did he honestly expect that Hiccup would join the Dragon Hunters?

"So, let me get this straight." Hiccup started. "You, a Dragon  _Hunter_ , want me, a Dragon  _Rider_ , to join your ranks?"

"That is one way to put it." There was a pause. "You are a remarkable man, Hiccup Haddock. Your knowledge of dragons along with your countless allies would benefit my cause greatly."

"You want me to help you make the Dragons extinct?" The disbelief was evident in Hiccup's voice. As Viggo had suspected, the young man was struggling to believe that Viggo's offer was a serious one.

"I am a businessman, Hiccup Haddock. If the dragons become extinct, then I have no business. I am not foolish enough to go to such extremes. It offends me that you would think otherwise."

"Then please, enlighten me with the purpose of your operations." The sarcasm dripped profusely from Hiccup's mouth.

He didn't want to be having the discussion. He was alone, tired, and - besides Toothless - heavily outnumbered. All it would take was one carefully shot Dragon Root arrow at his dragon, and Hiccup would easily be overtaken. Hiccup hoped that Viggo wouldn't do anything like that. He held a symbol of truce in his hand. Hiccup could at least trust this man would abide by the rules of war.

"It surprises me that you haven't figured that out already, Hiccup Haddock." Viggo had watched carefully as the Berkian Heir's frustration grew. The man obviously wasn't happy with this 'visit'. "But I guess it could only be expected. You and your Dragon Riders do have seemed to have developed quite a bias."

Bias? Viggo was accusing Hiccup of being bias?

"You know Viggo, I always thought you were one of the more intelligent people I've faced. I must have been mistaken though, considering you're accusing me of being biased."

"Oh, to be so young and so naive…" Viggo shook his head. He paused before continuing. "Just like yourself, Hiccup Haddock, I was born into my role. From a young age, I knew that I would lead the Dragon Hunters - even if I was only second in command. I trained, I learnt the way of business, I accepted my role in life."

"Your point?"

Hiccup was ignored. "However, I also questioned if the way that my tribe goes about business was necessary. Contrary to popular belief, it pains me to watch how some of my men treat the animals."

Hiccup rolled his eyes. "As if I'll buy that. If it hurts so much watching Dragons getting injured then you would have no issue calling off all operations."

There was a beat followed by an exaggerated sigh.

"I did consider it once."

Hiccup's wandering eyes snapped back to Viggo. The sentence hadn't been voiced by that same cold, collected manner that would even make compliments sound like a threat. There was an emotion that Hiccup couldn't quite read. Was it sadness? Remorse? Regret?

"I couldn't though. My grandfather made that very clear."

"So you kept operations going because of some family pressure?"

Viggo shook his head. "For such a smart man, your lack of economic knowledge astounds me."

Hiccup blinked.

"I employee thousands of men. Each one of those men has a wife and children to provide for. What do you think would happen if all of them instantaneously lost their livelihoods?"

Viggo paused to allow time for the question to really sink in.

"And it goes much further than that." Viggo continued. "The tribes in the South trade clothing, food, and exotic drinks for dragon skin - their form of currency. Some in the far north rely on the dragon meat to survive the harsh winter. People that live in the south-east breed dragons. This business extends much further than just the outskirts of the Barbaric Archipelago. If the Dragon Hunting ceased operations - even for a day - there would be drastic consequences."

Hiccup hadn't thought of that. He mentally berated himself for not even considering how the Dragon Hunters affected the world around him. As a leader, he was supposed to know these things. It shouldn't take one of his enemies to make him realise something as obvious as that.

"And besides, if I did decide to simply disband the Hunters, I would risk my own life. After that, wait a few months and order would eventually return. Someone else would eventually take my place. From this, you must see the predicament I face, Hiccup Haddock."

Silence ensued as Hiccup processed all the information. It did make sense, he supposed. If you destroyed the source of all trade, even those that had not even heard of the Dragon Hunters would be affected. It would create a ripple effect that would cause massive devastation.

That realisation caused the reality of the situation to settle deep in Hiccup's stomach. He was no longer faced with merely  _how_  to defeat the Dragon Hunters. Hiccup would also have to consider the  _after effect_.

Hiccup wasn't so offended for being called biased, suddenly. Because he was. He was naïve and biased. More so than what he could ever have thought to comprehend.

"That doesn't explain why you want me to join you." Despite the rampant thoughts, Hiccup had to stay focused in front of Viggo.

"Your attacks are becoming bad for business. Already, I have had to cancel a month's worth of trade with the Southern Islands and many innocent people have suffered because of that."

Viggo didn't miss the flash of guilt that crossed Hiccup's face.

"I offered a split in our territory and you refused. I don't wish to kill you, Hiccup Haddock. I simply want peace. So I offer you a place in my ranks to try to achieve that. If you can't accept this offer either, then I must simply kill you." Toothless growled from behind Hiccup. "This is my attempt at making peace."

Something was wrong with that statement. After everything this man had done, the name 'Viggo', paired with the word 'peace' didn't sit right. The suspicion, though, was quickly swept away.

Hiccup had been so wrong about Viggo's reason to lead the Dragon Hunters. He had simply seen it as greed for money. But now, Hiccup wasn't sure what to think. Did Viggo really want peace? Was Hiccup really the bad guy here?

Hiccup needed to think. Hiccup needed to leave.

"I'll consider it." He said simply as he mounted Toothless and took off into the air.

The two stayed hidden in the night sky as Hiccup watched Viggo leave Dragon's Edge. Hiccup and Toothless stayed and watched until the Hunters disappeared over the horizon. By that point, the sun had steadily started to rise. Hiccup directed Toothless back to the Edge - he had a lot of thinking to do.

~O~

"I'm a terrible father, Gobber." Stoick sighed as he looked down at his mug of mead.

It had been two days since Stock and Hiccup's argument. Two days since Hiccup had left for Dragons Edge without a goodbye.

"I wouldn't go that far, you just need to learn a bit of self-control." The blacksmith replied.

"I told my son that I would rather look after the village than see him. He must hate me." Stoick shook his head as he looked down at the table.

Gobber replied to his guilt-ridden friend. "Angry - no doubt - but he doesn't hate you."

"I don't even know what I was thinking? What type of father says that to his son."

Gobber sighed. Stoick hadn't meant what he had said. That was obvious. And deep down Hiccup must know that too. It just wasn't helping his friend that Hiccup had just left without a goodbye. It proved to Gobber just how angry his old apprentice must be.

For a very long time, Gobber had always seen that Stoick put his chiefly duties before his fatherly ones - most in the village did. He had hoped that after the war had ended that Stoick would pay more attention to his son. And while he had seen improvements between the two's relationship, it was still obvious where Stoick's loyalties lie.

"The boy did have a point though, Stoick." The Chief looked up at his friend. "You do tend to put your chiefly duties before everything else. Even family."

Stoick had not expected that from Gobber. Surely Gobber of all people should understand the responsibilities that were one Stoick's shoulders. He needed to be there for the village. Stoick expected both Gobber and Hiccup to understand that. He regretted what he had said - that was true - but there was still an inkling of anger. All Stoick saw was Hiccup making a big deal out of nothing.

"I don't have a choice, you of all people should know that. As chief, it is my responsibility to be there for the village."

"And as a father, it's your job to be there for Hiccup. And from what Astrid said about their recent meeting with Viggo, I think he might need it." Gobber stood and stopped at the forge door. "Just think about it, Stoick."

The chief nodded.

"I'm off to bed now. I'll see you tomorrow friend."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Economics! They're great!


	8. Chapter 8

~O~

**Forced Return**

**Chapter 8**

~O~

Sitting cross-legged on the floor, Hiccup continued to examine the multiple books surrounding them. It was one of the rare occasions that Hiccup was grateful for the box of books his father had sent him for his 'chiefly studies'. He had pulled out five books dedicated to the importance of trade. They all detailed all of Berk's trade records from the past hundred years. Usually, he wouldn't care much for anything that was even remotely related to being chief, but he needed all the information on trade he could get right now.

Hiccup needed to know if Viggo had been bluffing or not. He needed to know just how much the Trade World was affected by the Dragon Hunters. Yet, the harder he looked, the more Hiccup's frustration grew. There was nothing that even remotely related the Dragon Hunters to Berk. All trade was connected - Hiccup had known that from a young age - so if Viggo was telling the truth, then Berk must be linked in some way, shape, or form.

He realised that the way he was going about this was impractical. If he really wanted to find out any reliable information, Hiccup would have to ask every tribe for their trade records. And he doubted that would happen. Besides, not every tribe even kept their trade agreements. Even many of Berk's contracts had been destroyed back when the dragon's used to raid.

If Hiccup wanted to understand the Hunters trade, he would need to see their trade records. And he would never be able to get them. They were more than likely stored on Dragon Hunter Island, and it would be impossible to get close enough to even touch the book. He would be captured the moment he entered their waters.

Unless…

"Hiccup?"

Jumping at the sudden voice, Hiccup looked up to find Astrid.

"Hey, Astrid, hey." He said regaining his composure. "When did you guys get back?"

"About half an hour ago." The blonde shieldmaiden raised an eyebrow as Hiccup started closing all the books that laid before him. "What are those?"

"Nothing important." Hiccup answered as he placed the books on his desk.

He wasn't necessarily hiding anything from Astrid. He just had the start of a plan in the back of his mind - one that he needed to keep to himself until it was finalised. And if Astrid found out he was studying Berk's trade records then she would ask questions. And those questions would eventually lead to the talk he and Viggo had the other night - which for some reason he felt was best to keep hidden for the time being.

Astrid replied with a disbelieving look. Choosing to ignore it, Hiccup changed the subject.

"How was Berk?"

"The usual." There was a pause. "The trip back took a bit longer, though. We had to split what would have been your usual load of supplies among each other."

A sudden stab of guilt struck. Hiccup hadn't thought of that.

Hiccup avoided eye contact and rubbed the back of his neck. "Sorry about that."

An awkward silence ensued. Astrid looked around Hiccup's room. There were some new sketches and blueprints hung on the walls, and what looked to be some early prototypes of inventions stacked on a table in the corner. Without having to control the Twins and Snotlout, and organising chores for everyone to do, he had a lot of free time on his hands, it appeared.

Astrid took a breath. "Hiccup, what happened?"

"W-what do you mean?"

Oh, Hiccup prayed to Thor that he hadn't already given away that something had happened while the others had been at Berk. If Astrid found out that Viggo had been here, she wouldn't even listen to his potential plan, let alone agree to it.

"What happened that caused you to up and leave?"

The atmosphere changed along with the subject.

Hiccup looked at Astrid. "You saw what happened."

"You two had a fight. You two have always had fights! So I want to know why this time made you leave."

"We had an argument, and I left. That's all there is to know."

"Hiccup-"

She was cut off. "You should get some rest, Astrid. You had a long flight."

As much as she wanted to deny it, Astrid was exhausted. She had spent countless hours trying to keep the Riders on course, as well as dealing with the Twins constant bickering, and Snotlout's persistent whining. She would just have to talk to Hiccup about this in the morning.

~O~

Astrid didn't get to talk to Hiccup the next morning. In fact, no one had been able to talk to him for the first two days of their return. He hadn't completely shut them out, though. If the other Riders happened to be around on the rare occasion he would leave his hut for food or to fly Toothless, Hiccup would exchange greetings. Besides that, however, he stayed in the safety of his hut probably working on some new invention.

This angered Astrid to Hel and back.

First of all, Hiccup had left Berk without a single goodbye to anyone. Then, when the other Riders returned, he hadn't even been around to greet them. And finally, he seemingly ignored them.

When Hiccup did finally emerge from his hut one morning, he had come to the Clubhouse and asked how everyone had slept. There was no, 'sorry for ignoring you guys'. No 'sorry, I didn't mean to lock myself in my hut for two days and worry you all to bits'. There was nothing of the sorts.

This caused Astrid frustration that had built up from the past days boil over. She had spent a good part of the last week worrying over his safety, for Thor's Sake! Did Hiccup honestly expect that he could just waltz into the Clubhouse after two days and ask how everyone was doing?

However, before she could say anything to him Fishlegs ran into the Clubhouse.

"Astrid! Hiccup!" The larger man placed his hands on his knees as he struggled to regain his breath. "Hunter ships. I saw them just on the horizon."

Though the anger still lingered, Astrid soon forgot about what she was going to say to Hiccup and quickly mounted Stormfly. Soon, all the Riders were in the air.

Hiccup had not expected the Hunters to return so quickly. He had the feeling that Viggo would return soon. The man probably wanted to hear Hiccup's answer. But, something here was different. Were last time there had been a single ship, there was now half an armada. Whereas last time the men had come on peaceful terms, now every single man was manning some form of Dragon Hunting equipment. None of this made sense.

Viggo wanted Hiccup to join his ranks. How would attacking his base - a place he had come to call home - as well as potentially injuring some of his closest friends convince Hiccup to do so? The smart move would be to call off attacks. Viggo had said he didn't want war yet, here he was ready to attack Dragons Edge.

As the ships continued to advance into the large bay the Riders looked to Hiccup for a plan.

"We do what we always do. Focus on taking out as many ships as possible. Astrid and Snotlout," Hiccup internally winced at the glare she shot him, "flank them from the back. If we can make a few ships from the back retreat, the rest should follow. Fishlegs, Ruff, Tuff. You come with me and we'll make sure they don't land."

Affirmative replies met Hiccup grateful ears. He was glad that they were listening. Hiccup had half expected the Riders to ignore him just as he had done to them the past few days. He would have deserved it, Hiccup decided. It wasn't that he was intentionally trying to push them away, he had just been working on a complicated and risky plan. Hiccup had needed a couple days to solely focus on that.

Should he have told someone? Probably. Should he have waited a few days after the Riders return from Berk? Definitely. But at the time he had felt it imperative to get his ideas sorted out before they disappeared. The plan, though, may never be used though.

If Viggo had sent his men to attack then whatever he had said about peace could only have been false. It was so frustrating to have Viggo almost convince him that he didn't want the fighting to continue. Yet again, Viggo was playing with his head. Hiccup had tried time and time again to avoid the traps, but it appeared he continued to play along with Viggo's games.

But he couldn't focus on that right now. He needed to pay attention to the battle at hand.

_"Pay attention next time you and your Dragon Riders attack one of my fleets."_

No. Hiccup was not going to think about that right now. He couldn't.

Yet, as the battle waged Hiccup couldn't stop his eyes from wandering to the people he claimed to trust with his life. He couldn't stop himself from asking why he continued to put up with the Twins bickering. Especially when they did it on the battlefield and he had to take out boulders, nets and arrows for them. Or why he put Fishlegs in the heat of the battle when he would retreat at the moment he had a shot to make a devastating blow to the ship. And Snotlout, why did he constantly assign Snotlout to a task when he does the exact opposite. Right at this moment, he was attacking from the left side, not the back like he had instructed. Yet again, another person he had to make sure wasn't injured.

Then there was Astrid. She would never be as bad as the others, yet she was still so reckless. Despite all the times Hiccup had told her it was a bad idea, the shieldmaiden continued to fly within range of the weapons. It wasn't always avoidable - Hiccup knew that - but it was so much different when she purposely flew into a dangerous situation just for the thrill of it.

As the battle died down and the Hunters started to retreat, Hiccup wasn't sure he could look at the others right now. He had told them time and time again what they could improve on in battle but they never listened. Instead, they relied on that he and Toothless would be there to save them.

If it was a subconscious choice, Hiccup could understand that. It would be easy to see the raw power of a Night Fury and Hiccup's expert flying and feel safe. The people of Berk certainly did. But he had told them that he wasn't always around to help and still nothing had changed! Surely they couldn't still think…

No.

They wouldn't.

They couldn't.

But… did they?

The signs were there. Hiccup had just been too blind to see it.

Everyone still saw him as the expendable one.

He was still the boy they put in the forge because if he died Gobber could get another apprentice. They hadn't put him on fire duty because you needed to be a tight-knit team. If he had gotten himself killed it would have caused more problems than it would have solved.

And that viewpoint hadn't changed it seemed. Hiccup didn't understand why he hadn't seen it sooner. Other people could train dragons so what purpose did he have. No one really wanted him as chief. No one wanted him leading the Dragon Riders either. Everyone was just waiting for him to get killed out in battle. Everyone was waiting for him to be out of their lives. Why else would his father have let him explore beyond the archipelago?

Deep down, Hiccup knew he was being silly. He knew that the Riders would never intentionally do something to harm him. But, he couldn't bring himself to acknowledge it.

With the battle over Astrid was ready to confront Hiccup about what had happened over the past few days. But, with the way he looked towards the horizon with what could only be the look of someone scarred by betrayal, she couldn't bring herself to.

"H-Hiccup? Are you alright?"

The fact that he didn't look at her when he responded sent alarm bells off in Astrid's head.

"Everything is the same as it's always been. Everything is fine."

Before she could fully comprehend what he had said, let alone ask what he meant, Hiccup had returned to Dragon's Edge where he quietly retreated to his hut.


End file.
